ALMOST IS NEVER ENOUGH | TVD [3]

VII • DEATH AND THE MAIDEN

"Wait. Hang on. Stefan, how do you remember that?" Rosie asked, genuinely surprised that he seems to finally remember that exact night. Unless...a witch magically returned his memories with a significant spell. Tessa, she must be the one, considering she was the one who caused the memory loss in the very first place after she mentally linked him with Silas.

"Because my memories are back." Thanks to Tessa's visit the previous night once he finally stepped into his own bedroom and found her waiting here.

"Really? Wha-- did Tessa do something?"

"Tessa came here last night and she undid whatever spell fried my brain and it's all back. I can remember everything. I remember you." Stefan said guiltily; how could he forget such an extraordinary young woman like her? Their very first met, their reunion, every joke they ever shared together, their fights, their laughs, the entire relationship...how much he loves her, how much she's madly in love with him that she would let him go when he needed her to. She would do anything, as long as he's happy eventually, hence what did he do to deserve such a one-of-a-kind woman like Rosie?

Rosie smiles, "Oh my God, Stefan, this is great!" She hugs him close, "This is amazing." Tears of joy start to form in her big eyes as he returns the hug.

A moment later, Stefan, Rosie and Damon are sitting downstairs in the parlor room, and Damon is testing Stefan's memory while Rosie watches.

"October 1852." When his brother was only an odd five years old then.

"You broke my nose trying to teach me how to throw a right hook." When his brother was already thirteen years old, who would love to make him cry.

"But not on purpose." Damon looks at the youngest one for the next part, "Just to be clear." She laughs adorably, "How much did you pay for that hunk of junk motorcycle you ride?" He smirks at his brother mischievously.

"That's a trick question. You bought me that motorcycle, although I'm guessing it was pretty expensive." Stefan answered correctly, nodding.

"So Tessa just gave you back your memories, no strings attached."

"Well it wasn't exactly a gift. It was a lot to take in at once, everything from blowing out the candles on my first birthday cake to drowning in a safe." Stefan has the same traumatizing flashback of him drowning in the dark.

"Stefan." Rosie called out gently, remaining to feel sorry for him; she couldn't even imagine how it must've felt to drown over and over again.

Stefan holds his crystal glass a little too tight and it breaks in his hand.

"Whoa! Easy there, buddy." Damon called out as well.

"Stefan, where did you go?" Rosie asked in clear concern.

"All that and I still can't remember my own strength." Stefan hears a loud, distinct sound coming from the basement, "What was that noise?"

"Uh, well that is..."

"We have a situation." Rosie simply replied.

"Of the doppelgänger variety." Damon added on in a tired manner.

"Katherine?"

"No, nope, not Katherine."

The brothers walk down into the basement cellar and Stefan peers through the locked cell door window and sees the mortal, traumatized anchor screaming aloud and trying to cut loose from her tight, metal handcuffs.

"I don't know! I don't know." Amara shakes her head in denial, unstable.

"What's wrong with her?" Stefan asked in deep sympathy for the woman.